River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1887-09-08

Then why do you not use ths
hand?" pursued blunderingly.
Il left my right hand in Leadville
An explosion took il of.
He had laid the pencil down. an
looked very much discouraged at hi
efforts.
Ilonged to make amends for tn
pain | had caused him, and / went i'm
mediately to the OdiOus little typewriter
saying:
Il will write you letter on this.
Here was a man who wanted lette
written TO his poor old mother. whom
he had not seen for ten years, and b,
had no right hand with which to writ
his final love and devotionl would b.
his right hand for the time being. a
least. l would lengthen my wearisom'
day indefinitely if it would cheer thu
heart of a poor old anxious mother
somewhere.
But what's THAR he said, laying {
finger on the magical little machine.
explained by showing him sheet
OF typewriting. He looked il over and
handed it back to me with a negative
shake of the head.
Not any for me-" he laid depre-
catingly. The poor old soul wOuldn' I
like it. She'd kind of think it was
newspaper work. or something like
that, you see. want her to have a
real. genuine hand-writ letter; more
sOciable like, you know"
L could
of course, write one for him with pen
and ink. Ny experience in penning
addresses upon tens Of thousands of en-
yelOpes before | was promoted to the
dignity of typewriter. had given me
a mastery over the pen. Ii was only a
question as to whether l should humor
his within.
decided in the affirmative. l had a
dear friend somewhere out in the West
ern country, perhaps miner, too.
He had left mother-and me-to seek
his fortune. We were very dear friends
once; but light cloud had hidden us
from each other. Still loved him aft
er all these sad. lonesome years. and
perhaps he still had a lingering love
for me. Who knows?
He noticed my hesitation, momenta-
~ though it was.
1T would please mother so much"
"Yes. of course" interrupted.
| seized a pen. and. placing a sheet
of note paper before me, was ready.
Il want il to go something like this, ="
he began thoughtfullv- dear old moth
err"
/ melted as / traced the lines on the
paper. These first three words were
the key to my heart. He had opened
it. He seemed wrestling with some
problem, and tried to encourage him
to proceed with the dictation.
II want it writ kind and tender
like-just like I'd talk to her il she was
here nOw-yOu know"
Yes, | assented.
But to tell it all to stranger"
Yes. | understand, but l cannot
write it for you unless you tell me first
what YOU want TO say to her." l said
And then | added, You can speak
freely to me, have a mother, too. a
great way from here. and l can imagine
am writing to her, you know"
lis that sop he said, while CRATE
full smile and something very much like
a blush Overspreac his manly, brOnzed
face Then I'll go ahead. l want you
to say: Your boy, who left you about
ten years ago, on whose head you laid
your dear hand when you gave him
your parting blessing. and told him
whatever he did, or wherever he went,
TO always remember that-that-God
would take care of him-if-if-'"
1 waited patiently without looking up,
till heard a suppressed sob. Then /
saw that strong. roughly-clad man
chOked with emotion, and his eyes
glistening with the tiercely repressed
tears.
Beg pardon, miss. I'll go on now,
would take care of him in every if time
of temptation he would take a look at
his mothers picture in his pocket, and
think how she was praying for him day
and night. Your boy will be with yeu
again in about a week, never to leave
YOU again.
"Sign it, John. miss. if you please. ="
| was disappointed at this ending. l
had thought to know his name at least,
and not knowing then that should adj
dress the envelope for him.
A vague presentiment had been
gradually taking possession of me-a
feeling that there was approaching a
crisis in my life. l ridiculed the idea
and argued that the man and his his
tory was only a coincidence with some
thing interviewer with my own life.
But in spite of the light manner in
which | tried to treat the matter this
ghost of a presentiment refused per-
TO be exercised.
1t had grown quite dark outside. /
had lighted the gas. My visitor was
reading over the letter, which / had
handed to him after signing it John
the name of my old lover; but there
are so many Johns" in the world, /
argued. stood at the window, looking
at the bridge again in the glory. of its
electric lights. The bell and whistles
were sending out the welcome sound Of
rest to the thousands of tired tOilers.
and IL was off to that distant village
again, looking into those dear aged
eyes. and listening to those tender,
loving tones.
John" was reading his letter to his
old mother, half aloud, but it was only
an indistinct hum in my ears. / had
called in another John" from the dim
past. who was standing by me and
mother as of old.
But as | glanced at the handsome
face near the gasjet. lighted up by the
soft blaze. and illuminated by a tender
emotion which the contents of the letter
had awakened. gave a violent start.
The faithful artist. memory, had by
some subtle process removed the bronze
from that face and had retOuched the
lines of care. and by some deft manipu-
latiOn had also rejuvenated the face till
saw it a decade younger before me.
He spoke to me now having finished
the reading of the letter for the third
time. but kept my face to the window
till / could regain my cOmposure.
What would a strange man think of
me. with my lip trembling and the hot
blood running riot over my cheeks and
brow?
.'It's a pretty handwriting. he said.
with a grateful smile" hiding his
MANNED arm IN the great pocket of his
grizzly coat. But. I'd like it IL you d
Just put little pOst-what do you call
it?' he added, cOloTing.